Violation of children's privacy in the age of technology

Today, the advancement of digital communications and information is advancing so rapidly in the world that we are all witness of its presence in various aspects of our lives. Especially with the outbreak of the Corona virus and forced quarantine, all families were forced to voluntarily and inevitably put children and adolescents on their phones and tablets to use online education and online information. This rapid growth of the digital world, cyberspace, the influence, use of communication and information technologies has had a significant impact on the lives of people, especially children. It must be acknowledged that children today spend a great deal of time on educational, recreational and entertainment activities on the Internet and in the digital world, and are exposed to a variety of dangers and threats. In addition, the use of cyberspace has widespread negative and bad consequences for children, which can include dependence, isolation, stress, academic failure, aggression, reduced study rate, and finally depression and irreparable physical damage to children. In fact, this increase in the level of access to online content has created a bedrock for various sections of society, including children, to restrict or violate their rights. Meanwhile, the rights of children as the most vulnerable segment of society are more vulnerable to offence and abuse.

One of the threats to cyberspace for children is the violation of their privacy, which can have very bad consequences for children. Looking at the definition of privacy as walls to preserve personal information in a person's life and that no human being is personally interested in spying on someone's life and privacy, it should be noted that children are not outside this circle and this meaning should be followed in the lives of children and in the virtual world with the same concept.

Violations of children's privacy in the digital world can be considered in two parts. The first part is due to the interaction and communication of children and adolescents with other users and it raises concerns about the safety of children and adolescents in this space. In fact, due to ignorance and lack of information, children and adolescents reveal a significant part of their personal information on the Internet and in environments such as chat rooms on social networks, online gaming sites, online polls and similar cases, so the illegal collection of which poses a serious threat to their privacy is considered and can lead to information theft and its negative consequences. Because the identity of users is hidden in this space, it is never clear to whom this information is provided and what uses it is made of. Also, during the corona epidemic, real communication with peer groups was restricted for children and adolescents, and they used virtual networks to get to know their peers and test how to communicate with others, and this is considered a threat to children. Undoubtedly, the pervasiveness of cyberspace technologies makes it impossible for children and adolescents to restrict access. Wandering aimlessly on social media can lead to unhealthy and sometimes dangerous communication for children, while communication on social media is very effective in shaping children's identities. A change in the behavior of children means a change in the way they think, and when their intellectual foundation and personality are formed incorrectly, the way for fraudsters to infiltrate the privacy of individuals and the safe environment of the family is opened.

The second part, however, is related to information and images that parents and relatives of children publish on social networks. Today, with the help of smartphones, children have photos of many different and private moments of life from birth, which are published daily by parents and relatives on web pages and virtual networks. As far as it is possible to easily review and put together the weekly growth process with their most detailed circumstances in the first experience of eating, teething, walking, going to the bathroom, the first kindergarten and class, etc., up to older ages. In addition, in some cases, the image and sound of children are used as a workforce in virtual networks to gain followers, modeling, and so on. In fact, republishing images of children for various purposes such as fun and entertainment, showing the beauty and talents of children, arousing the pity of the audience, advertising goods and services in cyberspace and Internet pages, and by anyone is considered a violation of children's privacy and disregard for their superior interests. Because children do not have a clear understanding of the functions of the Internet and social networks due to their age, they will certainly be embarrassed, frustrated, and self-deprecated in the future by viewing their images in private moments and in different situations. Because these children cannot be locked up at home while everyone in the community is on the phone at school, on the street, exchanging videos with them and seeing and showing them to each other it is possible to bring serious damage to their personality and inadvertently overshadowing the child's life path and career. There is also a risk that these children will fall prey to sexually abusers or pedophiles in the future. Because children do not understand the conditions of society and their privacy is violated by the presence of a show in cyberspace, and instead of meeting basic needs and playing, they have become the propaganda subject of families and profiteers.

From a legal point of view, in international laws and conventions that recognize the rights of the child, and worldwide, children can sue their parents for violating privacy when they reach legal age. For example, Article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which respects the rights of the child and emphasizes the protection of the privacy of the child against all forms of exploitation that endanger any aspect of the welfare of the child. In Iranian law, laws such as the Law on the Protection of Children and Adolescents protect the rights of children, and if imposition of children reach to the extent that it is in a sense of child abuse and leads to mental, psychological and moral harm, it is considered a crime and protected by law. The document on the protection of children and adolescents in cyberspace is one of the most important documents that has been compiled in line with the emphasis of the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran on abandoning cyberspace because it emphasizes and affects the most vulnerable part of society and children to reduce vulnerability in this area. This document explains macro-policies, macro-measures and national division of labor in the field of management and governance, creating a protected environment, developing content and classified services, supporting and caring, creating a culture and promoting cyberspace literacy, and international interactions.caring,creating a culture and promoting cyberspace literacy, and international interactions.

By Mohammad Mehdi Seyed Nasseri

Translator, lecturer, and researcher in " International Children's Rights"